I'm sorry but this argument always makes me laugh. If you close your eyes it doesn't exist lmao.
I'm not sure we should be considering any sexualization to be overly sexualized.
It...doesn't matter if you are not sure if we should be considering any sexualization to be overly sexualized because no one is actually doing that.
Which is the same problem as the post referenced.
Take the OP's example. 'Sex exists' is not the problem with Minthara. In a vacuum. Since it is not in a vacuum you have the situation where Minthara is non-negotiable with losing a TON of actual game content and her own companion specific content was bugged to hell and back on release and still feels incomplete.
But her sex scene was not only intact from the beginning, but is the most explicit bar none and is only available if you actively help her raid the grove, instead of not interfering.
Which means that the issue is not 'sex exists.'
The issue becomes 'this...looks an AWFUL LOT like the developers decided that hot Drow sex is the 'reward' for an evil playthrough instead of quest content.'
This is one example, of many, that reveals where the priorities were to the active detriment of the game.
Argue THAT.
Not 'sex exists.'
Your argument still seems to boil down to "Sex exists"
Your problem with Minthara is that "Sex exists" and has been a functioning feature of her path.
Which is still hardly "Overly sexualized" it's at best mismanagement of resources. IF we consider the notion that the team that works on gameplay elements is the same team that works on dialogue and sex scenes.
It's also hardly the "Reward for an evil playthrough" since you can do an evil playthrough and... Not romance Minthara. It's again, only an optional piece of content for that playthrough, not the end-all-be-all of such a run.
There's plenty on offer for evil playthroughs. Many interesting unique items are only available in evil runs. The way the story plays out in later acts is different when the Tieflings don't survive and if you side with the Absolute...
Originally Posted by Rotsen
I apologize, but again this argument still doesn't work since you're basing it on 'being able to ignore it, thus its not a big deal'. Of course its optional, a lot of things within the game are optional but they are still there and the way they were included and the amount of it (that I personally don't consider minuscule) will influence how people see the whole game.
How doesn't it work?
In the grand scheme of things, it IS a minor part of the game (It spans a handful of scenes among dozens of hours of gameplay) and it is avoidable so those that don't wish to partake of it don't HAVE to.
Which is in contrast to games that are "Overly sexualized" where sex is unavoidable and a much larger part of the overall play experience.
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You mentioned detriment to the story/game. And yes I would say that BG3 has multiple scenarios where the inclusion of sex and the 'that's hot' mentality came as a detriment to characters and their writing.
I do have to consider whether this detriment was due to the inclusion of sex as a whole or the amount of sex included, or rather the implementation or choreography of the sex. Since if it was simply poorly implemented, it's not "Overly sexualized" it's just "Sexualized poorly"
As "Overly sexualized" and "Poor implementation of sex" are completely different things.
Overly sexualized is referring to quantity. While implementation is referring to the quality.
Originally Posted by Rotsen
for some reason a subsect of Larians fanbase has flipped it around and started attaching it to anyone that criticizes or doesn't like the poorly written erotica mixed with bestiality cuck porn.
Probably because there are many posters that are not making it clear that what they're against is the way the sex was portrayed, rather than the inclusion of sex as a whole.
A lot of the arguments about the "Overly sexualized" nature seem to suggest that they feel the handful of scenes we get in the game are somehow everywhere and it's too much to handle and it's basically a porn game.
While the crux of the issue is that the sex and moreover relationships as a whole, haven't been implemented in a particularly good way. But this is nothing new and is not particularly impacted by Larian's choice to include full nudity. For example, Dragon Age and Mass Effect have both featured terrible relationships and awkward sex scenes... But apparently Larian's so much worse because the models are nude instead of wearing underwear?
Of which this scenario of RPG's having terrible relationship systems, isn't helped by everyone ignoring the core problem in favour of crying about sex scenes. I recall even back in DA:O where no-one was talking about the terrible relationships and was more concerned with talking about the god awful sex scenes. In Mass Effect the main issues being brought up was "Why can't I bang daddy Garrus?" as opposed to again, the terrible relationships.
Which is why I suggest that RPG developers look into Dating Sims and AI Girlfriend apps. Since the first step is to create better and deeper relationships within games, THEN we can focus on making sure any sex scenes appropriate. Since with or without sex, the genre still fails hard in creating interesting and fulfilling character relationships.
Otherwise, we might as well just say to cut relationships from RPG's entirely and just focus on making more in depth gameplay and world building since that would be a far better use of resources than half-baked shallow relationship systems.
